A Decade of Waiting
by Rutilus 'Two-Hands' Obscurum
Summary: Chachamaru goes into a 10 year slumber, and nobody knows why! At the end of it, she will be set off on all new adventures, and Negi gets to do 'screw her up' some more! As Haruna put it...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note- I've been thinking, and I need to do a fan fiction for Negima! Magister Negi Magi. I've been considering my options, and I can't decide between Chachamaru or Evangeline. I have though, come up with something for Evangeline, so I'll work with Chachamaru first. Enjoy!**

**A 2009 Obscurum Production**

A Decade of Waiting

Chapter 1- Reboot

Ten years ago was memorable time for the students in Negi Springfield's class. The bulk of magical adventures had passed, and the students were able to resume their normal lives. Sadly, they tried to seduce Negi more often, and Evangeline hit another bump in the road, skipping class once again. Chachamaru however, still continued to come to class. Day after day, she diligently continued attending, a new smile now forged on her face thanks to Negi. Strangely though, not all things last, for life just does not simply repeat. Things can change, even in technology. The time was June 20th, 2003. Negi was at the head of the classroom, teaching his lesson.

"Now girls, can any of you tell me the answer to this question?"

Makie raised her hand.

"Sure! The answer is While My Guitar Gently Weeps, performed by The Beatles during the decade between 1960 and 1970."

Meanwhile, Chachamaru tuned in, and saved the song to her files instantly memorizing it.

"It is a sad, yet wonderful song Master Negi."

"Why thank you Chachamaru. I acquired a taste for the band when I was digging through some of my father's possessions a couple of days ago."

Chachamaru readjusted in her seat, a slow tiredness coming over her.

_What is this? I've been properly charged, yet for some reason I'm powering down…_

Negi continued to teach the class, question after question, minute after precious minute ticking away. Soon, the bell rang and the students rose from their seats.

"See you later Negi," said Sayo and the other girls as they left.

"Goodbye girls!"

Negi returned to his desk, and began to grade papers when he caught something in the corner of his eye. He glanced up to find Chachamaru still in the room, sitting in her desk with a relaxed expression, her eyes shut.

"Oh dear Chachamaru, the bell has rung! You best not be late for next period!"

No response was heard. Negi rose from his desk, and approached the sleeping girl quietly. He raised his hand, and gently shook her shoulder.

"Chachamaru, are you asleep?"

To his horror, Chachamaru collapsed in her seat, and fell out the side with her head hitting the floor with a clatter.

"Chachamaru!"

He furiously dug through his pocket, until he drew out a key which he kept for specific emergencies such as this. He gently rolled the unconscious robot on her front, and inserted the key slowly releasing magic into it and turning it gently. There was no response. No moaning, no shaking, nothing.

"Chachamaru, wake up!"

Negi shook the lifeless body with no response. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Chachamaru…"

He gently laid down the robot, and bolted from the room yelling madly.

"Satomi! Satomi! Come here immediately! Chachamaru is unconscious!"

Meanwhile, the aspiring scientist was in the adjacent hallway when she heard Negi yelling. Soon, the ten year old appeared around the corner.

"What is it Negi?"

"It's Chachamaru! She's out cold, I think she's dead!"

"Negi, that's impossible! You should be able to simply recharge her using magic, and also her current power supply should last her a two full days without combat."

"I DID CHARGE HER! SHE JUST FELL TO THE FLOOR!"

Satomi looked at the young professor with a puzzled expression.

"Fine, don't believe me? I'll just check her wireless diagnostics."

She pulled a PDA from her skirt pocket, and began to tap at the screen with a scribe pen. Soon, she too came under the same conclusion of Negi.

"My god, Negi. She's not showing up here! Take me back to the classroom!"

They ran at a dead sprint for the classroom, and practically rammed the door down. They clawed their way through desks until they reached the rear corner of the room.

"Oh no, this is not good! Negi, help me get her into a sitting position in her desk!"

The two worked together to get the now non-functional robot into her desk. Satomi reached up, and pulled a hidden cord from the bottom of one of the 'ears' on Chachamaru's head, connecting it to her PDA.

"Her readouts show that she's gone into a deep sleep mode. She's totally locked up! Even I can't do anything!"

Negi began to weep again.

"So… is she… is Chachamaru…"

Satomi turned and hugged the ten year old tightly.

"I'm sorry Negi. There's nothing I can do right now."

"So she's dead?"

Satomi bent down and wiped the tears from the professor's eyes.

"No, don't get ahead of yourself Negi. She can still accept inputs of data and still holds her memory, it's just frozen in time. I don't know how and when she locked up, but with some time I can make a program that can reboot her. Until then… she needs to remain here in this desk, and move as little as possible."

"Thank goodness. How long will it take?"

"Given her level of encryption, it could be a day, it could be a week, weeks, months, or years."

"Thank you for relieving my fears Satomi."

"Don't mention it professor. I'll go talk to Dean Konoe and tell him of the situation. I suggest that you prepare to hold this position for awhile."

"You mean my job?"

"Yes Negi, for she needs someone to charge her. My suggestion would be that every day you give her the same amount of magic you have in the past."

"I understand."

With that final conversation that period began the long slumber that Chachamaru would begin. Day after day, Negi would practically sleep in the classroom, sleeping in the dorms only when Asuna would ask. He divided his time three ways during the ten years, one third going to Asuna, the second third going to teaching, and the third third going to the care of the sleeping Chachamaru. Later that beginning day, when Evangeline heard of the predicament, she neither became enraged nor was depressed. Her words were 'All things must die some time, and animated non life forms are also included.'

Day after day the girl frozen in time sat in the shadowy corner of the room, and every day Negi would sit behind his desk, growing older and older. He also ironically, acquired a broad collection of music, most of it being by The Beatles. Many a winter, many a spring, many a summer, and many a fall passed during her slumber. Negi continued his job, eventually writing two books over his career and becoming a small-time computer technician.

************************************************************************

**Ten years later…**

In a simulated darkness, Chachamaru's consciousness floated in an abyssal plain, with nothing above, below, or around her. However, as she continued to browse around nonchalantly, light began to envelop her. Soon, the familiar pleasure of being wound up by that certain someone returned, and she began to fall. Soon, she fell into a warm water, looking into a giant 3-D computer database. She approached it, and slowly touched one of the panels on the side labeled 'reboot.'

Negi had just finished his evening windup of the girl, and sat behind his desk peering into his laptop. A song began playing that had been acquired on the last anniversary of Chachamaru's 'Temporary Passing.'

Meanwhile, the girl that had frozen for ten years… began to operate. As the 20 year old professor continued to tap into the small device, she silently rose from her seat.

_There are places I remember_

_All my life, though some have changed_

_Some forever, not for better_

_Some have gone and some remain_

She took a step.

_All these places had their moments_

_With lovers and friends_

_I still can recall_

_Some are dead and some are living_

_In my life I've loved them all_

During the first two verses, Chachamaru silently padded her way to the front of the room, the unknowing teacher continuing to listen. Soon, Chachamaru sung the next verse.

"But of all these friends and lovers,

There is no one, compares with you

And these memories lose their meaning

When I think of love, as something new"

"Negi's head jerked up from behind the laptop. Oh hello Chachamaru, why are you here so late? Evangeline's probably waiting."

_Though I know I__'ll never lose affection  
For people and things that went before  
I know I'll often stop and think about them  
In my life I love you more_

The stunned girl looked upon him with widened eyes.

"Nagi?"

Negi looked down, and had continued typing, when he realized her presence. His heart began to skip beats, and as soon as he came to the full realization that his ten year dream had come true, the desk chair toppled over.

"CHACHAMARU!"

_Though I know I__'ll never lose affection  
For people and things that went before  
I know I'll often stop and think about them  
In my life I love you more  
_

_In my life I love you more_

The now 20 year old Negi Springfield hurled himself over the desk and onto Chachamaru, who now wore a startled expression. He wrapped his arms around her, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Chachamaru, you're back! After ten years you're back!"

Reluctantly, she wrapped her arms around him.

"What do you mean _ten years_?"

Now realizing this Negi unlocked from the embrace, and stepped back. He sighed, and began to speak.

"Chachamaru. You have been in what I would call the equivalent of a coma… for ten years."

"What, how can this be?"

"I don't know what happened that day ten years ago, but one day you just completely stopped responding."

"So you've been teaching and watching me for ten years?"

Negi smiled, proud of his accomplishment.

"Yes!"

Immediately worry set in.

"Oh my goodness, what condition is master in? I must go home immediately!"

"Chachamaru, she's gone."

"WHAT?!"

"She's left Mahora. About 2 years ago, I found out how to break her out! It was pure hell, but I did it. Had to give about half my blood though…"

Chachamaru sat down, as well as Negi. Soon the two turned when they heard someone storming down the hallway. Soon, Satomi Hakase hurled the door open.

"Negi! Chachamaru's readings are back, and they're off the charts!!!"

She paused, looking the two over and began to slowly connect the dots.

"Aww damn. I just got the unlock program finished too!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note- It's a 1000 pages give or take a few, I'll be writing more in a week or two! Just kidding. I'm a Beatles nut. Most of their songs seem to always fit in with Akamatsu's work. I will be writing more though! I'm putting my other projects on hold temporarily to do this one. Enjoy this next chapter!**

Chapter 2- A Day in the Life

Satomi stepped into the classroom, now a slender woman aged around 25 years. She still however, wore her hair in the same fashion as when she was in middle school.

"Chachamaru! It's wonderful to see you awake after ten years!"

Chachamaru then wore a saddened expression.

"So it is true, what Negi has told me."

Negi frowned, and pulled his chair closer.

"I'm sorry love, but that's the fact."

Chachamaru wore a puzzled expression after Negi's latest statement.

"Why did you address me as 'love?"

Negi chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sorry Chachamaru. I guess my father's habits rubbed off on me as I got older, not that I knew any of em'."

"What does that mean anyway?"

"Hmm. I guess it's the way an Englishman such as myself would address a woman that's a close friend but not quite a girlfriend. Why do you ask? Am I offending you?"

Chachamaru blushed.

"No, not at all Negi. It's just that… you're so different from when you were younger. So cute and overly respectful, I kind of miss it."

Satomi pulled up a chair, and began to speak.

"Sorry to interrupt the reunion, but there is the business of what we're going to do now that Chachamaru is back."

"Negi, Satomi, I have a question. How is the dean doing? Is he even still around?"

"He's alive and kicking, oh that old man I think is in his eighties right now."

"That's wonderful! It will be very easy to begin my lessons again!"

Negi frowned again.

"It's not that easy love, because there are many other things besides school that we need to work out."

"Like what exactly?"

"Well… Evangeline literally 'pocketed' her cabin in one of those glass things, and so you have nowhere to stay."

"And the robotics laboratory is full."

The three sat in wonderment, their faces down as they considered ideas. Soon enough, Chachamaru's head rose.

"Negi?"

"Yes Chachamaru?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but if ten years have passed aren't Asuna and Konoka off living their lives?"

"I've totally forgotten! Yes, they would be!"

"Well then Master Negi, logic should tell you that if you still have that room in the dorms, you should be able to provide lodging for me."

"That's a perfect idea Chachamaru! It's just that…"

"Just what Negi?"

"I haven't been there for a few years. I know the dean says that I still have rights to the room, it's just that I don't know what the girls did when they left."

"Do you still have the key?"

"Yes."

"Then let's find out."

Negi, Satomi, and Chachamaru rose from their seats, and pushed in their chairs. They shut off the lights to the room, and walked down the hallway in silence. Soon they exited the building into the cool night air, and walked at a steady pace to the dorms. They ascended the few flights of stairs, and soon found themselves on the old familiar hallway. Negi pulled out his keys and began to flip through them. Soon enough he found the correct key, and inserted it into the lock on the door.

Soon, the door was opened to reveal that all of Negi's equipment remained untouched, the furniture in its original place. The sheets that were once on the bunk beds had been returned to the pure white that came with the original room. As Negi looked around, his laboratory remained untouched, and all other things were still in place.

"Wow this brings back memories. I remember when Konoka tackled me after she accidentally consumed some of the alcohol from an experiment and began… um… heh heh…"

Negi unconsciously blushed, thinking of the day.

"And began doing what Negi?" Chachamaru asked.

"Something that didn't get to me until now. Anyway, the room was trashed and Konoka and I bought Asuna a new clock."

Chachamaru entered the dark room and flipped on the lights.

"Where is Kamo-kun?"

"He was lifted of all charges for the panty thefts, and now I don't know what he does. I think he manages the trans-world media."

"Trans-world media?"

"Yeah, they changed some of the laws between the new and old worlds, and now some small trickle of media and stuff comes between the two."

Negi and Satomi entered the room and shut the door.

"Well, everything here seems to be working. I guess I'll have to sleep on the couch though, since my bed is too small."

Satomi turned to Negi.

"Uhh Negi? Why not just sleep on the bottom bunk of the old bunkbed? The girls aren't here anymore you know."

"I completely forgot!"

Chachamaru laughed.

"Master Negi, I hope you haven't aged to the point that your memory is ailing!"

Negi flattened his expression with annoyance.

"Well hey love, if you're gonna treat me like that you can just go back to sleep for another ten years!"

Negi glanced over to see Chachamaru no longer standing there.

"Chachamaru?"

Negi turned back to find Chachamaru face to face with him. She proceeded to flick him in the forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You could try to be a little nicer."

"Sorry."

Soon Satomi left the room, and Chachamaru and Negi were alone.

"So Negi, what do you plan on having for dinner?"

"I'm going to order out. Is there anything specific you like?"

"Why not have a normal dinner Negi? I can cook you know."

"Well… I think that probably most everything in the fridge is toast."

Negi stretched his hand toward the refrigerator, and using the same spell he did to summon his staff, he opened it from a distance to reveal some strange glowing green emanating from it. Soon a stench reached him. His face turned green.

"Yes… it's toast."

He slammed the door shut again, and turned to Chachamaru.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to order out."

There was a knock at the door. Chachamaru rose to answer it.

"Who could be up at this time of night?"

She opened the door to find the dean, carrying two paper bags which smelled of delicious food.

"Dean Konoe! It's wonderful to see you!"

"I'm glad you're back Chachamaru! Satomi contacted me when she found out that you were active again. When she told me you two were moving into the dorms, I figured you might need something to eat seeing that the fridge has sat for a few years."

To the couple planning for dinner, the dean was like a Santa on Christmas carrying in two sacks of toys. He brought in the food and set it on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"I'll be leaving now. If you two need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

With that, the dean left.

"Well that was lucky, wasn't it Chachamaru?"

"Yes. Yes it was."

"Sit down Chachamaru, and I'll get us some plates."

Negi went to the kitchen and acquired two plates, forks, and knives. He returned to the living room and set the dishes on the table and began to dig through the bag. He pulled out a full cooked chicken, a dish of mashed potatoes, some steamed vegetables, and a small glass jar. Negi tried without result to remove the lid on the jar.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but can you open this for me Chachamaru?"

She reached out, and grabbed the lid tightly. Soon the unmarked jar was opened to reveal that it was filled with bagless tea. There was a note on the surface which Negi picked up.

Dear professor Springfield,

I respectfully ask you to try this new tea which I have grown and made myself. It really is rather simple, being made of a combination of dried tea leaves from my personal crop and the flavors extracted from peaches and raspberries. It's still experimental but I would like your opinion.

Sincerely, Dean Konoe

Soon, Negi had the tea brewed and served, and he and Chachamaru were able to begin their meal. As they ate in silence, Negi was deep in thought.

_So how will I do this? I need to make this situation benefit for both Chachamaru and I._

As they finished their meal, they rose and Negi collected the dishes. He then put them in the sink and returned, sitting on the couch.

"Chachamaru, would you like to watch a movie?"

Before she could reply an extremely loud crash and rumble was heard. Negi ran to the door and opened it, looking out to see it pouring buckets all over the campus.

"Oh dear, looks like we're having another summer storm."

Chachamaru rose from the couch.

"Well then Negi, I think I'll take a bath before the power gets kicked out, seeing that I haven't had one in ten years."

Negi sighed and returned to the couch, sitting down heavily. Soon he heard the running water of the shower, and the familiar aroma of Crème Brûlée body wash was wafting through the room from beneath the bathroom door. The thunder and lightning continued, and soon enough the power went out. The room was excessively dark, and Negi cautiously rose from the couch trying not to trip over things while trying to find a practice wand. The bathroom door opened.

"Negi, why hasn't the building generator turned on?"

"I think it's broken."

Chachamaru, wrapped in a towel, made her way across the room in the dark.

"Here, I'll find you a light Negi."

"No it's quite alright Chachamaru, I'll find one."

As they probed their way through the room, neither one knew that they were on an inevitable collision course. Soon enough however, as they both came down each end of the short hallway they ran into each other with a loud thump when they hit the floor.

"Whoa! I'm sorry Chachamaru, I couldn't see!"

Negi could feel weight on top of him. As well as that, he felt two soft objects on his chest.

"Great, now I'll be all wet! What on earth are these soft, round… OH MY GOD! I'm sorry love, don't kill me, I'm not trying to be perverse!"

Soon, they rolled opposite directions in the hallway, and pulled themselves into sitting positions against the wall.

"Please forgive me Chachamaru, I didn't mean it."

Meanwhile, Chachamaru's face turned bright enough red from embarrassment that it could have served as a light source.

"It's… alright… Negi. I understand."

Silence reigned supreme. Soon enough however, Negi spoke.

"However I must say love, you feel smashing AND you smell just lovely!"

Chachamaru swung her outstretched hand across the opposite side of the hallway blindly, smacking Negi in the side of the head.

"Ow!"

"Pervert."

Soon, Negi fumbled along the wall behind him, and found a practice wand hanging.

"Ah, this is where I put it!"

He muttered a spell, and soon the hallway was lit up by the small wand. Negi began to laugh when he saw Chachamaru's embarrassed expression. This was soon met with another hit.

"Ow. Sorry."

Together, they rose from their sitting position, and made their way back to the bedroom at the end of the hall. Negi approached the dresser, and opened the doors to reveal Negi's and Chachamaru's entire collection of clothing hanging or folded.

"When you shut down ten years ago, Evangeline brought all your belongings to me. The girls and I found a place for this dresser, and it was kind of hard to get most of the items here in."

"Why did you do this?"

"I did it in anticipation of when you would reactivate."

"Oh, I see."

"I'll just leave now. Since you know magic, can you create some light?"

"Sadly no. It's one feature I've had difficulty with."

"Strange. I'll tell you what. I'll put on a blindfold, and hold this wand. You get into some pajamas. I won't look."

Soon Negi had a long white silk band wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. He continued to channel magic into the wand, and listened as Chachamaru continued to dress.

"Okay Negi, you can take off the blindfold."

He did as was instructed to find Chachamaru dressed in a white t shirt and pajama bottoms.

"Okay, very well. Now love, you can use a wand, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then since you can't seem to define a point on your body for the illumination spell, use the wand. I must change now as well."

"Okay Master."

The same process was repeated, and soon Negi was dressed in the same way Chachamaru was.

"The way we're dressed right now is just wonderful for summer weather."

They shut away the dresser, and then turned to the bunks.

"So what do we decide on here? Do you want the top Chachamaru?"

"No, you take the top and I'll take the bottom."

"Okay."

Soon Negi and Chachamaru were in bed, and readily fell asleep.


End file.
